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Descripción
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| The RF microwave electric breakdown have been observed in the laboratory experiments within a wide range of neutral gas pressures, ranging from 10^?8 up to 10^4 mbar or more. The characteristics of these RF electric discharges and their power thresholds essentially depend on both the nature of the neutral gas and its pressure. The RF corona discharge is produced for intermediate and low pressures (roughly between 10?4 and 102 mbar) and it is originated by a small number of free electrons accelerated by the intense RF electric field. These seeding electrons ionize the neutral atoms by electron impact and the subsequent cascade of ionization events leads to an exponential increment in the production of ions and electrons. These charge avalanches are in particular undesirable in space systems because they dissipate an important fraction of the RF input power and may damage the microwave components. In this note it is investigated the influence of electrons emitted by an artificial source (a Strontium 90 radioactive source of 1 mCi) in the RF corona breakdown power levels. These results are compared with those in the absence of additional electrons. These measurements were conducted in both continuous wave (CW) and pulsed modes for wide range of pressures. The experiments were carried out at ESA laboratories with the support of the University of Valencia, Saab Space and the Polytechnic University of Madrid. | |
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Agencia Espacial Europea |
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Valencia, España |
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